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Douluo Dalu Chapter 73

Seeing two people approach, one of the four young women took three steps forward to greet them, bowing slightly as she spoke:

"Guests, is there anything you require assistance with?"

Xiao Wu said:

"This is the auction house. We want to go in for a look."

The young woman was stunned, even though she didn't hold any contempt because of Tang San and Xiao Wu's age, it was still the first time she had ever seen visitors like this. But she still patiently said:

"I'm sorry, honored guests, may I ask whether you have the bidding qualifications certificate?"

Xiao Wu stared blankly,

"Bidding qualifications certificate? What kind of thing is that?"

The young woman smiled slightly, saying:

"Only guests possessing a bidding qualifications certificate may enter the auction house to bid. Certification exists in several different levels, of them the threshold to enter is ten thousand gold spirit coins. In other words, you must prove you have assets to an amount of ten thousand gold spirit coins and can participate in bidding. This is to ensure people cannot enter to bid maliciously. Please forgive me."

Xiao Wu turned her head to look at Tang San,

"Ge, do you have ten thousand gold spirit coins?"

Tang San somewhat helplessly shook his head. Even though he had earned a lot at the Great Spirit Arena, a figure like ten thousand gold spirit coins was still too much.

"It's still possible under another condition: if you are selling something you can also enter the auction hall. But to sell something requires passing our Heaven Dou Auction's special appraiser's valuation, the value must exceed ten thousand gold spirit coins for qualifications to join the auction. If the auction is successful we will take ten percent of the sale price as commission."

Selling something? Tang San and Xiao Wu looked face to face, and Tang San's heart twitched. Searching his chest pocket he pulled out an item.

It was a black little case, only about palm sized, on top were fastened rings and locks, the case was completely black, and on the front was a set of tiny holes.

"Then we'll auction this."

Tang San flashed the little case in his hand.

"What is this?"

The young lady wasn't scornful when Tang San took this thing out, having worked here for a time she knew that sometimes the more bizarre an item was the more valuable it was.

Xiao Wu feigned mystery:

"Don't you have appraisers? Didn't you say before that you had appraisers to have a look at the value, right?"

The young lady had realized that this went beyond her, and hastily held out an inviting hand,

"Please follow me."

While speaking, she started walking into the auction house with small steps.

Inside the auction house wasn't any feeling of glorious splendor. The floor was milky white marble, and on all the walls were all kinds of reliefs. The relief sculptures didn't have a lot of color, appearing simple and forthright, extremely elegant. Besides the reliefs were still some display windows on the walls. Inside were arranged goods like porcelain or armor and such. If they didn't know what this place was, Tang San and Xiao Wu might have mistaken it for a museum. The young woman who led them all the way acted very professionally, pausing every ten steps or so to make an inviting gesture, accurately showing the direction. She took Tang San and Xiao Wu straight to the side of the gall, where a signboard with the words 'appraisal' hung over a room.

Inside the room was a row of tables, behind which stood eight black-robed appraisers, all of different ages, hastily valuing some goods.

The young lady said to Tang San and Xiao Wu:

"This is the room for ordinary appraisals. If I may I would trouble you guests as to the characteristics of the item."

While speaking, she brought the two to an appraiser on the left, handing over the small case.

"Appraiser number one, I would trouble you. These two guests wish to put this item up for auction."

The appraiser subconsciously accepted the metal box. As his gaze fell on it he immediately displayed an astonished expression, turning it over for a look as he said:

"Forgive my ignorance, may I ask what this is? The manufacture is extremely elaborate, but I don't know what applications it has?"

Tang San smiled slightly, saying:

"I call it a Powder Shooting Shadow[1], it's a kind of weapon."

"Weapon?"

The appraiser was even more astonished, this was the first time he had seen such a delicate weapon. Originally he had still looked down on Tang San and Xiao Wu as just a pair of youths, but right now the disdain vanished,

"Is it possible to see a demonstration?"

"Here?"

Tang San picked up the Powder Projecting Shadow from the appraiser's hand,

"My item is poisonous. I'm afraid here isn't the best."

Hearing the word 'poisonous', it wasn't just the appraiser in front of them that paid attention. The seven appraisers to the side couldn't help cast glances towards them, their expressions filled with astonishment.

Appraiser number one somewhat embarrassed said:

"If you're unable to prove its effect, there is also nothing we can do to set its price. Our auction house has a special area dedicated to testing weapons, shall we go there to take a look?"

Tang San nodded.

"Let's."

The young woman in charge of receiving visitors didn't leave them, and still followed at their side together with appraiser number one. They brought Tang San and Xiao Wu through a sliding door behind the appraisal area.

Perhaps the owner of this auction house was very fond of circles, but even the interior doors of the auction house were semi circular, giving a very thorough feeling.

Tang San couldn't help sighing in admiration from just a brief observation, not only was the scale of the auction house large, but moreover everything was clear and orderly, the division of work explicit. The appraiser brought them to a weapons laboratory about one hundred square meters in size, the four walls of the room were covered in tightly fitting steel plates, and was completely empty.

Tang San gestured at the receiving young woman and the appraiser to move behind him, raised the Powder Shooting Shadow in his right hand and lightly pressed the trigger.

Chichichichichichi-- A continuous series of low squeaking sounds echoed, followed by a yellow mist drifting out. Tang San had added this new poison mist not long ago. After the Powder Shooting Shadow had undergone his improvements it could also shoot three times, just like the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. Only its power was a bit weaker than the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, but each time it could shoot thirty six steel needles.

Tang Sect's mechanical hidden weapons were mainly sorted according to power. Like the reason the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle was ranked among the best wasn't because of how concentrated its attack was, but rather its attack power.

The Godly Zhuge Crossbow's attack power was already frightening, three times that of the Powder Shooting Shadow.

But the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle was five times stronger than the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, its shooting speed and penetrating power could be imagined, it was basically an undodgeable hidden weapon.

A succession of intense jingling sounds rose from the wall ten meters away. Tang San stretched out his hand, urging his spirit power and using Controlling Crane Catching Dragon to gather the poison mist, one finger shooting out a strand of Blue Silver Grass to absorb it.

He pointed to the opposite wall:

"Please."

The appraiser quickly walked forward. As he saw the state of the steel wall, he couldn't help breathing in deeply,

"Such a potent weapon."

The three cun long steel needles hadn't quite pierced into the steel plate halfway, the tail ends still quivering. From the blue liquid color it could be seen they were poisoned, and that still didn't include the yellow mist that puffed out when they were fired. Such penetrating power was already something common Spirit Masters couldn't withstand.

Tang San said:

"My Powder Shooting Shadow can shoot three times after being loaded with steel needles, each time accompanied by a confusion type poison mist. The steel needles themselves are coated in paralysing poison, and the toxin will take effect as soon as they have pierced the skin. By my calculations, it would be a certain kill against a thirtieth rank spirit master or lower. Against thirtieth rank or higher, Spirit Masters without the ability to resist poison should very easily be affected. The steel needles are easy to make and can be reused. I can also offer a bottle of paralysis poison."

Tang San walked over to the steel plate, raising his right hand and wordlessly pulling out the steel needles, once again pushing them into the Powder Shooting Shadow. The poison didn't have any effect on him whatsoever.

Mysterious Jade Hands didn't just make his hands as hard as iron, they also isolated them from all poison.

Watching Tang San collect all the thirty six steel needles that were shot out, the appraiser finally came back to himself.

"Honored guest, even though it's made from common materials, this weapon certainly is more elaborate than anything I've ever seen. Perhaps it might not be much use to other Spirit masters, but to ordinary people it's a superb weapon. I'm prepared to give it a price of ten thousand gold spirit coins, what do you think?"

Tang San had only spent twenty gold spirit coins on making this Powder Shooting Shadow. Of course, that was only the material costs. On the entire Douluo Continent, he was the only one with the craftsmanship to create it.

Tang San nodded with a smile, handing over the Powder Shooting Shadow to the appraiser,

"No problem. Then put it up for sale. Now we're qualified to join the auction."

The receiving young woman to the side hastily said:

"Of course. Our auctions run constantly for twenty four hours of the day. All auctions are conducted at the heart of the hall. Please follow me. Your item will very quickly appear for auction, I'll first bring you to handle the procedures."

The procedures weren't complicated, only setting up a gold spirit coin card with the auction house's affiliated bank.

Through this bank Tang San could obtain the corresponding price after his item was sold and the commission was deducted. He could also place bids, with the condition that he couldn't exceed his funds at the bank.

At the same time the receiving young lady gave the pair a simple introduction to the rules here.

As the biggest auction house in Heaven Dou Empire, it was possible to bid for any items here.

The first rule of the auction house was to never ask about the seller. Moreover they couldn't reveal the circumstances of bidding in the auction house outside.

Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)

Twenty four hours constant bidding, without rest.

Every night was a time when top quality items were auctioned. Within those two hours only buyers with cash deposits in excess of one million gold spirit coins could participate. Any other time, any bidder could join.

The rules were very simple, but Tang San still noticed that this uninterrupted auction no doubt brought immense profit to the auction house. The auction of one precious thing would bring a ten percent commission, from some points of view that wasn't much, but in fact, the accumulated wealth was terrifying.

Even so much that the profits must be enormous even compared to the Great Spirit Arena.

"Take us to the auction, please."

Led by the young woman, Tang San and Xiao Wu finally got what they wanted, entering the heart of the Heaven Dou Auction.

The core of the auction was on the second floor. From the main hall there were eight staircases that led inside. Before entering the auction, the young woman gave them each a mask, telling them they everyone had to wear them in order to enter, out of security considerations for the customers. Next time nobody would receive them.

The young woman brought them directly to the entrance to the center of the auction before turning around and leaving. There were other attendants within the auction heart.

Compared to the young woman that brought them, the dress of the attendants here couldn't help but make Tang San's face and ear bright scarlet.

They also wore white clothes, and it was still dresses, but the feeling they gave people was entirely different.

The attendants within the auction were all female, around the same height as the young woman who brought them, but their figures were even more fiery.

The sleeveless white dresses they wore had wide open lapels at the chest. The short skirts barely passed seven cun[2] below the waist, exposing soft delicate thighs. Adding white high heeled shoes, they were even more exceptionally enticing. The deep gorge between their breasts, the pert but swelling under the short skirt, there was nothing that didn't rouse the imagination.

Despite Tang San's staunch willpower, he still couldn't help looking several times. After all, he was still a normal man.

There was a sudden pain at his lower back, and by his ears Xiao Wu's menacing voice,

"What are you looking at? You're not allowed to look."

Tang San swallowed the pain and hastily said in a low voice:

"Do you take me for fatty! Let's go inside."

Xiao Wu used her own, taller compared to Tang San, stature to as much as possible block Tang San's line of sight as that provocatively shaped attendant brought them into the heart of the auction.

The heart of the auction gave people a feeling more like a large auditorium, at a size similar to the central main Great Spirit Arena, at the center was a circular platform, surrounded by rings of seats.

They were altogether arranged into five sections. The three rows closest to the platform were red, and moving successively out from there the next were black, purple, yellow and white. Clearly it was set up according to the different levels of the bidders.

The receiving young woman had previously told them that the innermost red seats were accessed via a special passage, with special security personnel for protection. That was the area for so-called million level VIP's, moreover one still had to be a person of considerable status to obtain red VIP qualifications.

The black seats outside was the common million level VIP area, anyone could enter and become a black guest as long as they had money.

Further out, purple was the five hundred thousand purple level guests, yellow was the hundred thousand level common guests, and the white area furthest out was also the largest area, where the most common guests like Tang San and Xiao Wu were seated.

The attendant brought the pair to the white area, indicating they could freely choose where to sit. Perhaps it was because Tang San and Xiao Wu were too young, or that their guest qualifications were too low, but the attendant wasn't in any way enthusiastic, only very professionally brought them to their seats, even so much that she didn't even have the professional smile of the previous receiving young woman.

Tang San was indifferent, but Xiao Wu was somewhat resentful,

"Hmph, arrogant snobs. Dressed like that, it's clearly to seduce the wealthy. What did they do to grow that big?"

While speaking, Xiao Wu looked down at her own budding chest.

"The attendants here are all like that, it's not directed at you."

A gentle voice came from the side. As Tang San and Xiao Wu turned their heads to look, they saw a white dressed scholarly looking middle aged man nodding at them with a smile.

Strangely, he didn't wear a mask, and no staff came to ask him about it.

Xiao Wu couldn't help asking:

"They're all like this? Why?"

The middle aged man said with a smile:

"The attendants here all belong to the auction house themselves. Even their lives. They were all bought by the auction house as commoner girls, and fostered from childhood. They aren't only the serving staff here, at the same time they're goods for auction. If someone wishes to pay, they can be traded."

"Then isn't that slavery? But, don't the two great Empires prohibit slave trading?"

Tang San said somewhat astonished.

The middle aged man smiled calmly, saying:

"There are a lot of helpless people in this world. This is the Heaven Dou Auction, let alone slaves, there is nothing that can't be sold here. The reason those young women are expressionless is that they long ago lost lost their own hearts, and even more the decision of their own fate. All they can do is obey. Even though they're beautiful, they don't own their own souls. I can only describe them as 'lamentable'."

Listening to the middle aged man speak, the expression on Xiao Wu's face gradually changed. If she loathed those scantily clad beautiful attendants before, then now her heart was brimming with pity.

"How much do they cost?"

Xiao Wu asked.

The middle aged man seemed to see through her intentions,

"You want to buy them and give them freedom? That's just another tragedy."

Xiao Wu puzzled asked:

"Why?"

"Besides serving men, those attendants don't have any survival skills. Even if you bought them, with their looks they would still finally fall into the hands of men. Their fate would be even more miserable. They don't have souls, they don't belong to the world. Besides, the price for each is a hundred thousand gold spirit coins. More than ten times that of the highest class prostitutes, it's not something just anyone can spend."

The middle aged man's tone was somewhat helpless. He seemed to carry himself with a particular atmosphere that very easily made others feel familiar with him.

Right now there weren't a lot of bidders at the auction, and only a sparse fifth or so of the seats were in use.

On the stage a spirit tool similar to a belt was being auctioned, and the price had already reached forty thousand gold spirit coins.

Next to each seat were special buttons to call out bids, above them was separately written one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand and one hundred thousand, representing how much each bid would raise.

The middle aged man seemed interested in Tang San and Xiao Wu, and changing the topic asked:

"Coming to the auction so young, is there something you want to buy?"

Xiao Wu said:

"We aren't buying, we're selling."

"Eh?"

The middle aged man smiled:

"Selling things, huh. I wouldn't have thought that someone as young as you would be selling."

Xiao Wu said:

"Who said you can't sell if you're young. Maybe, later once we have money we can still buy spirit bones to play with. Yi, how did you know we're young, don't tell me you have x-ray vision?"

Everyone here wore masks, and even though Xiao Wu and Tang San were a bit smaller than adults, it still wasn't by much.

The middle aged man said:

"Good, ambitious. It's no wonder youths can possess such strength. Even though you wear masks, the childishness of your bodies and eyes can't conceal your age, clear sighted people will naturally notice."

Hearing this, Tang San couldn't help trembling inwardly, could it be this person was capable of seeing his and Xiao Wu's strength? However, why wouldn't he feel any threat from him?

By now that spirit tool on the stage was sold for forty three thousand gold spirit coins.

The auctioneer on the stage touched the amplifier and spoke to the bidders with a smile:

"The next auction we will conduct is a rare item. Interested bidders please pay attention. Especially male guests."

While speaking, he pointed to the stage and three large men pushed out a cart. The cart was covered by red cloth and the inside couldn't be seen, but from the shape it was some large square box.

Tang San, Xiao Wu and even that middle aged man's gazes were all attracted by this new auction and stopped their discussion.

The announcer somewhat mysteriously said:

"Can you guess what it is? Then, I will first reveal to all distinguished guests the starting price. This item's opening price is ten thousand gold spirit coins. The minimum bid increase is ten thousand gold spirit coins. This is top quality among top quality."

As the auction's presenter, the ability to raise the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the competing bidders was clearly required, and he very successfully attracted the bidders' attention.

"Next, all distinguished guests please pay attention."

While speaking, he grabbed the red cloth, sharply pulling it away.

After the flash of red light, what was revealed wasn't any box, but rather a large iron cage. Within the iron cage was curled up a young woman.

The young woman was more than half naked, with only key places covered by shells. Because she was curled up her appearance couldn't be seen clearly, but her figure was close to perfect.

Fair skin like sparkling jade, and a head of short green unstyled hair.

Part 3 (TL by Bagelson)

"Perhaps the honored guests might find it strange that such a girl would actually have such a high opening price, the same as the price for the beautiful women trained by our auction house for many years. But if everyone looks carefully, you will find how extraordinary she is."

While speaking, the announcer pulled out a rod from somewhere, poking it into the iron cage and lightly prodding the short green hair on the side of the young woman's head, revealing her ears.

Those weren't human ears, but small pointed ears similar to that of a feline. Under the light prodding of the rod, the ears turned slightly red.

"That's right, you haven't made a mistake. This is a rare cat woman. When her spirit awakened her body underwent a variation, possessing a cat like shape, her eyes are one blue and one green, a unique mien, and there's even a long tail."

He used the rod to hit the young woman's butt, and she yelped and turned, revealing a white cat tail that had been hidden in front of her.

"One might say that she is a unique and unmatched existence on the Continent. Able to possess such a beautiful female cat as a pet, such a blessing. Imagine, if when working you can grab her tail with one hand, what kind of scene is that?"

While speaking, the announcer revealed a dubious expression, swinging the rod in his hand in a circle in the air,

"All guests, you can bid."

"These bastards. To actually sell a person as a pet."

Xiao Wu couldn't stop herself and was about to leap up.

Tang San pulled back Xiao Wu, indicating she should stay calm. But his own heart was a roaring sea. It wasn't like he had never seen the dark side of this world, but it was still the first time he came into contact with it. It seemed that within this auction house, commodities like 'humanity' didn't exist, only 'profit' and similar animalistic cravings.

Faint light flickered, and Tang San's eyes revealed an ice cold aura, leaning back in his seat and quietly observing. He was an astute person, and naturally understood that he and Xiao Wu couldn't change everything that happened. Even if they were truly able to save this cat woman, afterwards there might still be a panther woman and a tiger woman, how could they promptly rush over without delay each time? 'Teacher said that the auction house was a place brimming with opportunity and filth, it seems he really was right.'

Xiao Wu's hand held on to Tang San's the whole time, without relaxing. She discovered that Tang San's grip on her hand was tight, clearly his heart was also uneasy. Looking at the light fluctuating in Tang San's eyes, she also gradually calmed down. But she lowered her head, no longer looking at the stage.

Speaking of all this as a true coincidence, just after Tang San and Xiao Wu entered there was an auction of a living person, this no doubt left Tang San and Xiao Wu with an extremely profound, and also extremely bad impression.

At this moment, Tang San accidentally discovered that the middle aged man next to him pressed the button marked ten thousand. Even though it was his first time here, he still knew that this would display a ten thousand bid increase. In other words, he had at least a hundred ten thousand gold spirit coins to buy that cat woman.

His originally good impression immediately changed. He hadn't expected this seemingly dignified and scholarly middle aged man next to him would actually be so base and despicable.

The middle aged man's gaze stayed on the stage the whole time, but just when Tang San was changing his mind he spoke up:

"Rescuing the soulless is pointless. This one still has soul, and is also the result of spirit variation, how can I not save her like this?"

Hearing his words, Tang San was slightly distracted, and even more wary towards this middle aged man. How could he know what he was thinking, could it be he was a legendary mind reader?

"No need to be suspicious. Young man, the eyes are the window to the soul, your expression is already enough to tell me a lot of things. After all, I've already gone through a lot more years than you. This is the experience of society."

The middle aged man smiled at Tang San, his hand once again pressing the bidding button.

By now the bidding price had already increased to sixty thousand gold spirit coins. Moreover it seemed like the rising trend would continue without pause.

The announcer said:

"One hundred seventy thousand, there is a red guest bidding one hundred seventy thousand gold spirit couns, are there no further bids?"

He had already cried out in surprise on more than one occasion. White represented the most inferior bidders, but from the start of this auction there had been a white bidder participating. Even stranger, his bank still didn't show any signs of overdraft. This explained how the competitor had such bidding power.

"Let me see who dares fight with me."

An elderly man in the frontmost red area stood up sharply, his eyes sweeping across the white area in the back. Even though he wore a mask, as soon as this man stood up, Tang San immediately recognized him.

The middle aged man had said that a person's eyes were the windows to the soul. Everyone's eyes were different, and the gap between expressions even greater. This red VIP person in front glowering at the back was precisely the Heaven Dou Imperial prince Xue Xing who had driven them away from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

Against Tang San and Xiao Wu's expectations, the middle aged man to their side didn't try to hide from the opponent's gaze, but rather stood up, nodding to prince Xue Xing with a smile.

The number of people looking along with prince Xue Xing wasn't small. Seeing the middle aged man standing up, not only Xue Xing was stunned, at the same time a cry of alarm rose at his side. Even that announcer on the stage went somewhat rigid.

"The auction house has the rules of the auction house, can we continue?"

The middle aged man's voice wasn't loud, but mild and refined, but it still clearly reached everyone's ears.

Since Tang San sat at his side, he could distinctly feel the spirit fluctuations around him. He didn't know why, but it didn't have a trace of menace, feeling like an extremely gentle spirit power. He had a kind of unusually familiar feeling, as if he had sensed it somewhere before,

After the middle aged man stood up nobody placed any more bids, and the auction was concluded smoothly.

When the middle aged man stood up and fearlessly confronted prince Xue Xing, Tang San knew he hadn't lied. Otherwise, would he still have needed to stand up and brag about buying back a slave? Even more, for this reason he had offended an imperial prince. This scholarly middle aged man didn't appear to be any kind of fool, so naturally he wouldn't act foolishly. Since he did this, it proved he certainly had an honest heart.

"Uncle, thank you."

Xiao Wu was more direct than Tang San, and with a greatly improved mood she immediately blurted out without thinking.

The middle aged man smiled and shook his head, pointing to the stage, indicating they should look.

The immense iron cage had been pushed out, and very quickly an elderly man hurriedly ran up, saying something to the announcer, who nodded repeatedly.

The middle aged man smiled calmly, thinking out loud:

"These fellows want to fool me with low price goods again. Every time I come it's the same. Why always this? It's not like I won't pay."

Tang San earnestly said:

"Perhaps they're afraid you will destroy something good. After you've bid, nobody will dare increase the price. With you here, their good things won't sell for a good price, to the auction house it's naturally a loss."

The middle aged man smiled slightly, comfortably leaning back in his seat,

"Then I should also leave. This trip has still been worthwhile. If you're interested, you can come with me to have a look at that cat woman later."

"Good."

Xiao Wu agreed without the slightest hesitation. She wasn't as simple as she might seem, she really wanted to see how the middle aged man would treat that cat girl, in order to feel relieved.

The middle aged man said:

"Then we'll take a look at the last item, and leave directly. How could I let their arrangement go to waste?"

Very quickly another item was pushed out. This time it was only a small cart, the thing on which also wasn't covered by any red cloth. Seeing this item, Tang San didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Xiao Wu couldn't help saying:

"Ge, isn't this our Powder Shooting Shadow?"

Sure enough, what was pushed out was precisely the Powder Shooting Shadow Tang San had just had appraised at the lowest starting price level of the auction. Of course, this so-called lowest starting price was already a considerable amount to ordinary people.

"Powder Shooting Shadow? Good name."

The middle aged man smiled at Tang San. Tang San thought he saw something in his eyes, but couldn't make it out.

On the stage, the announcer made the introductions,

"The next item up for auction is a weapon the appraisers acclaimed as the most elaborate. Honored guests do not look only at its small size, its power is extremely astonishing."

While speaking, the announcer picked up the Powder Shooting Shadow from the tray,

"Our appraiser also didn't know how this weapon was manufactured, however, once used it can instantly launch thirty six steel needles. These steel needles are able to pierce a one centimeter thick steel plate within a range of fifteen meters, and are moreover dipped in paralysing poison. When the steel needles are launched, there is also the concealment of a dense mist. It's a rare protective weapon. Altogether it can launch three times. If used appropriately in battle, it can very easily steal away the opponents fighting capability."